Report: Raiders Projected to Land Striking Sleeper Pass Rusher

The Las Vegas Raiders boast one of the NFL's best pass rushers in Maxx Crosby, but once you get past Crosby, the cupboard becomes rather bare.

Yes, the Raiders have had edge rusher Malcolm Koonce on board, but Koonce missed the entire 2024 campaign due to a torn ACL and is slated to hit free agency.

And sure, K'Lavon Chaisson surprisingly showed some flashes this past season, but he, too, is preparing to hit the open market.

Both players represent major risks, as Koonce's injury was very serious, and we still don't know if Chaisson was just a flash in the pan during a contract year.

As a result, Las Vegas definitely need to pursue some pass-rushing help this offseason, and while the Raiders have loads of cap space to sign a player in free agency, they can also turn to the NFL Draft for some much-needed assistance.

It doesn't necessarily have to be in the early rounds, either. There are sleepers all over the board, and Pro Football Network is actually predicting Las Vegas to land one in the sixth round: North Carolina Tar Heels edge rusher Kaimon Rucker.

Rucker may very well be one of the most underrated pass rushers in this draft class. He is coming off of a 2024 campaign in which he registered 30 tackles, eight tackles for loss, six sacks and an interception.

The 22-year-old arrived at Chapel Hill in 2020 and took on a fairly significant role in 2021 when he logged 31 tackles, six tackles for loss and four sacks.

However, Rucker's breakout season didn't come until 2023, when he racked up 61 stops, 15 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks, truly putting himself on the map as a serious NFL prospect.